Donatella

Donatella was an Italian courtier in the service of Queen Elizabeth I of England. In 1560, Queen Elizabeth had Donatella become involved in political intrigue by having her testify before the Privy Council that she was Catherine de Medici's distant Florentine cousin, and that she harbored her at Elizabeth's court. In doing so, Donatella inadvertently confessed to granting asylum to Catherine while claiming that Elizabeth was unaware (despite Elizabeth using Catherine as a means to be wed to Catherine's son, the future King Charles IX of France). This led to Donatella's reputation being sullied, and she and her husband Lord Barlow were banished from court and stripped of their titles and assets for conspiracy.